Melodious Stories
by noobyaoiwriter
Summary: I lost my home, my precious work, my whole life. If it wasn't for him, I probably would've killed myself. But I had to hang on, for him. It's time I stopped living in a fantasy world, and came back to reality, no matter how much that reality hurts.
1. The Unwilling Student

Hi, people of the internet! :D This is the first chapter of my NEW Zemyx story, Melodious Stories! YAAAAY! XD Anyways, my beta hasn't had the chance to fix it yet, but I wanted to give it to you all before I left for camp. That's right, I'm leaving for CAMP today! :D I can't wait! I'll be back on Friday, but until then I'll have no internet access. So I hope to see some reviews when I get back! And when I do get back and my beta finishes up, I'll update it, k? Well, until then, lovely people! :D Enjoy my 1,455 word first chapter! ;)

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Six.

Six was my lucky number.

Six was the age when I discovered my true calling, drawing.

Six was the number of great artists I'd been lucky enough to meet and receive advice from.

Six was the number of drawing books I'd published.

Of pictures I drew which are on display at the museum of art.

Of years of college I took to get my dream job, a college art professor.

Of... well, you get the idea.

Maybe I'm superstitious, but all of that made me pretty optimistic about my upcoming sixth anniversary with my boyfriend, Riku. Well, it did _not _turn out the way I'd expected.

...But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Things started changing on September 9th. Hmm, 9/9. He wasn't kidding.

.

It was the first day of the fall term at Ultima University, where I was the professor of Creative Drawing. I'd thought my life was fairly good. I had my dream job. I had an amazing boyfriend whom I'd been with for almost six years. We shared an amazing house with a wonderful view of a forest and lake, a great source for inspiration. Indeed, I wanted everything to stay _exactly _the way it was.

However, of course, it _didn't_.

.

The day began normally enough. It was my usual first-day procedure for the first classes. But then, at the final class of the day, it changed. As students began filing into the classroom, one student in particular grabbed my attention immediately.

He was a relatively tall young man, with his blond hair set in such a bizarre, strange shape that I got the itch to draw it. But what _really _caught my attention was his expression. He was a fish out of water. This class was unfamiliar territory, and he quite obviously did _not _want to be here.

I wondered why he'd taken this class when he didn't want to. Art is a very picky subject. You have to _enjoy_ what you're doing. He did _not _look like he enjoyed drawing. But suddenly, the late bell rang, jolting me back to real life.

I did the same thing with that class as with all of the others. That is, I said 'Welcome to my class,' I took attendance (his name was Demyx Myde, a name just an unusual as mine), and then I told them to get drawing. Why am I so blunt? Simple. Art has no limitations, no rules, and no explanations. Therefore, I provide none of these things either. Smart students will do what they are told _without question. _Luckily for them, this was a smart class. No one said a word as they all got out a pencil and paper.

As they worked, I walked around the classroom, checking their progress. I _really_ wanted to see what the blond boy, Demyx, was doing, but I forced myself to go around the room completely before getting to him. When I finally got there, I was shocked. He had taken out a pencil and paper, yes, but he was just sitting there, staring at the paper like it was a venomous spider. I knew he wouldn't _enjoy _his assignment, but I'd expected him to at least _try_, not just give up and do nothing. No one had ever done that before. All I could think was '_who is this guy? What's his story?'_

Now, I _could've _been a mean teacher and said quite loudly, 'Young man, why aren't you following instructions?' so the whole class would hear it. But, remembering his lost expression before, I just couldn't. At that moment, he looked up and noticed me. Dismay flooded into his strangely-colored sea green eyes. 'I'm in trouble.' His thoughts were clear on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to defend himself, but I shook my head before he could say anything. I held up one finger, motioning for silence. He closed his mouth and frowned back down at the paper. He looked very frustrated and miserable. I felt a surge of pity. He _really_ didn't want to be here. He probably didn't _choose_ to be here. I suppressed a sigh and continued walking. I decided to talk to him after class.

There was one extremely talented girl I kept coming back to, watching her drawing grow and evolve. It was a picture of a wolf, running in a forest through the rain. The detail was immaculate. There was no color, not yet, but she was shading in the shadows with her pencil expertly. I watched as she delicately added leaves to the trees and raindrops to the sky, one by one. When she put her pencil down for a moment to flex her fingers, I put a hand on her shoulder and leaned over next to her, studying the drawing closer. "This is very good," I murmured, not looking up from the drawing. "Thank you." She sounded flattered. I studied it for another second and then looked up from the paper at her as her bright blue eyes scanned her own work, looking for flaws most likely. "What is your name, young lady?" She pushed the hair away from her face and smiled. "Namine Snow, sir," she answered politely. "Hmm." I straightened up and let go of her shoulder. "Well, Miss Snow, you are quite talented. I eagerly await the finished product." She flushed with embarrassment. She picked up her pencil and bent over the paper to hide it. I smiled slightly. There was always one. One star student, one who could become a great artist. I hoped she would keep getting better, and maybe become famous someday. She certainly had the potential.

Finally, the class ended. Everyone came up to my desk and turned in their papers, except for the boy, Demyx, who still just sat there unhappily. "Excellent work, class," I announced when they all took their seats again. "Tomorrow shall be our first lesson. You may all go." The students began packing up their stuff. I went over to the door and stood next to it, keeping my visible eye on Demyx. The kids began walking past me, out into the hall. Demyx had tried to escape quickly, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw me by the exit. Everyone else left, until we were the only two people in the room. There was silence for a moment. "We need to talk, young man." I said, fixing him with a penetrating stare. The poor boy was terrified. "Umm, okay," he said nervously. "I mean, yes sir," he amended hastily. I closed the door and sat down at my desk. "Come here, Demyx." He approached slowly. "I'm really sorry, Professor Ienzo, but I just-" I silenced him, holding up one hand calmly. I took off my glasses and eyed him critically. Although I felt a little sorry for him, he was still a student of mine, and so he must participate in class, and asking his personal business was rude anyway. So I had to play the part of the stern teacher. The only way I would find anything out was if he told me himself. But who knew how long that would take? It might not even happen at all. I suppressed a sigh and played my part. "I do not play games, Mr. Myde. Drawing is a fine art, a very serious subject, and it also my passion. I take my job seriously. So, if you are in my class, _you_ must also be serious about drawing. I did not want to single you out in front of your peers, so I'm warning you now. If you at least try, you will pass my class. If you do not try, then you will _fail_. I suggest you either make an effort, or transfer out of this class. Do I make myself clear?" Demyx nodded, looking dismayed. "Yes, sir." I leaned back in my chair. "Good. You may go." He fled. I sighed and bit my lip anxiously. Was that too harsh? I hoped not. He _did_ look pretty miserable. And besides, I wouldn't be able to figure this out if the poor guy was scared of me. _We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow, _I conceded as I collected my things to leave for the day.


	2. A White Muse And A Silver Flash

Hello! :D My beta seems to have gone poof, so this one hasn't been edited either... But when they come back, I will revise both this chapter and the first one!

This chapter is so short. Only 755 words. D: I'm REALLY sorry. I didn't even have this one before. Originally, what is now chapter 3 was chapter 2, but then I decided to add in a little Riku time, to show his character and Zexy's when he's at home. Though as you'll find, it's not their normal behavior. ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoy it! :D

EDIT: My beta has now fixed both of them! :3 There was a problem with hotmail, so we had no connection. Hotmail hates me. T_T but it's all good now! :D so enjoy~

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The car ride home was silent, as usual. I don't listen to music. I find music to be highly distracting and annoying. Riku disagreed with me on that subject, but he was respectful enough to use headphones when I was around. Six years was a long time; we both made compromises to avoid conflicts.

As I pulled into our driveway and made my way to the front door, Demyx was on my mind. I wondered what the boy thought of me, if he'd taken my advice or not. But I pushed those thoughts out of my mind while I prepared my easel near the window. From there, I had a clear view of the lake and forest. I tried to analyze every leaf, every piece or dirt outside, hoping that inspiration would come, but my muse remained silent.

Sighing, I put down my sketching pencil and took a seat on the couch. "Come on, Zexion, think!" I muttered to myself, putting my head in my hands. Minutes ticked by slowly, and my thoughts drifted towards the star student, Namine. I remembered how carefully she created each tiny leaf. How I'd hoped she'd become famous someday. Eventually, the next generation would be the ones in charge. The students of today will be the teachers of tomorrow.

_Teachers, huh? The teachers of tomorrow... _Images flashed through my mind. A mother wolf, nursing her newborn cubs... The mansion, overgrown and old... A blond-haired woman painting and watching two children playing in the yard of the mansion... At last, at last, sweet inspiration! I grabbed my pencil and set it against the paper delicately, allowing a small smile to flash across my lips. _This will be my best work in a while..._

By the time Riku got home from work, I'd finished the main piece of the sketch. I was just completing the small details of it when Riku came up behind me.

"Hi, Zexy," he greeted.

"Hello, Riku," I replied, touching up the shadows from the tree branches.

"Looks great. What is it?"

I didn't even stop or turn while answering. "It's the mansion at the top of that hill."

I could hear it as he flopped down on the couch. "It's all overgrown though," he observed.

I nodded, still not stopping. "Yes. It's the mansion ten years from now. When finished, this will represent the passing of our roles to the next generation," I explained, beginning on the wolf. "When I'm done with this," I continued, "I have to look over the papers for all threes of my classes. Would you mind taking care of dinner for today please?"

There was a full beat of silence. I finished the face and went on to the body.

"...Actually, Zexion, I was planning on going out with my friends tonight."

My hand finally came to a halt. Without turning, I put the pencil down. "With your friends," I repeated. There was a sigh behind me, and though I didn't turn, I knew he was rolling his eyes. "Yes, Zexion. My friends. They would be your friends as well if you came with me every once in a while," he pointed out.

"What point would there be in that?" I demanded. "I have no time to fool around, Riku. You know how I feel about this. It's always been this way for me, since long before I met you."

There was an entire minute of silence.

"...Yeah, I'm aware of that. Sorry to interrupt your busy schedule, Professor Ienzo. I'd forgotten that you didn't want a life. I'll just leave you to your dire work. Maybe when I come back you'll actually make time for you six-year-boyfriend!" I turned around in time to watch him slam the front door on his way out.

My hands balled into tight fists, and I suppressed the tears that threatened to break through. Riku and I got along well usually. Even the smallest of fights only occurred every few months. But most were related to this subject. He didn't seem to accept this about me. I'd always been that way, and he knew it, yet he fought me about it anyway. You can't change the very nature of someone. 'Hanging out' with 'friends' seemed utterly pointless to me. My art was my only passion, my sole hobby. It was just who I was.

The unfinished drawing was in the trash, in pieces, by the time I went to bed.

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Please REVIEW! :D Six reviews please? *angel face* when I get six, I will put up chapter THREEEEE~~~

To any Riku fans, I'm SORRY, but i HAD to do it. :/ I love him as well, but I have a plan already in place...


	3. The Unhappy Student

Wow, this one's short too. O.o 821 words. Oh, well. *shrug* So I got my six reviews, and my beta had already finished, so I decided to just put the next chapter up today! :D But I don't know how long it'll be until I finish the next chapter, because I can't figure out how to word it. -_- anyways, I hope you enjoy! :D Thanks to SarcasticProcrastinator-AMLF for betaing, and thank you to all of the people who read and review! :D

DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot and Zexion's random extra students besides Demyx and Namine. XD No really, they're my slaves. XD

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The next day crawled by slowly as I waited for the last class. It seemed like an eternity before that class finally started walking through the door. I watched them come in anxiously. Where was that boy, Demyx? Ah, there he was. He looked unhappy, but determined. Good. I'd gotten through to him somehow. Though I'm not sure how. Well, at least he'd try now. That could be all I needed.

.

I waited until everyone took their seats, and then cleared my throat. They fell silent at once. Smart kids.

I stood up; it didn't really make much difference. I _hated_ being short.

"Based on your drawings from yesterday, I can see that most of you are on the same level, which is good. Today, we shall talk about perspective, since most of you seem to have trouble in that area." I went through the whole lecture, and then told them to draw a basic, perspective-oriented picture. Just simple shapes.

.

Namine looked disappointed. I smiled to myself. She was on a whole different level than the rest. So, when I walked by, I put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to whisper, "Don't worry, it gets better soon." She smiled at that. I was grinning as I went on. Second day of class, and I already had a favorite. As I said, there was always one...

.

When I got to Demyx, I stopped. He was bent over his paper, a fierce scowl on his face as he tried to straighten his lines. Well, he _was _trying, I gave him that. But... well, it wasn't very good. I hadn't really expected much, but still. He looked up suddenly and glared at me. 'It's bad. Say it,' his eyes told me. I could read his thoughts on his face. I came closer and put a hand on his shoulder.

.

"Don't get so frustrated," I told him too quietly for anyone else to hear.

He went back to scowling at the paper. "It's terrible," he growled. I smiled; I couldn't help it.

"Maybe so, but it's better than not trying. You don't get better if you don't _try_" I pointed out dryly.

"Who said I wanted to get better?" he muttered darkly.

I straightened up. "Then think of it this way. You took this class for a reason, right? Whether it was your choice or not. A failing grade gets you nowhere."

He mumbled something I couldn't hear. I sighed and continued walking, suddenly weary. Demyx was draining all my strength with his gloomy attitude. The happiness of my students affected my own happiness.

.

"All right class," I announced when class was almost over. "Hand in your papers. I will grade them tonight and then tomorrow we'll do something more advanced on the subject." The students lined up behind my desk to turn in their papers. Demyx still looked unhappy as he set his paper down with the others. It was... not very good. The finished result wasn't any better than while he was still working on it. But I said nothing. I didn't like to call my students out in front of their peers. Heaven knows I've had that happen to me. I didn't enjoy it, and I didn't think Demyx would either.

.

Once the class was over I started gathering my things to leave.

"Um, Professor?"

I looked up, and noticed that Demyx was still standing there.

"Oh, Mr. Myde. Is there something you wanted to talk about?" I asked him, eyeing him curiously.

He was fidgeting with his fingers, like he was unsure of something. "You're right. I did join this class for a reason. But it wasn't my choice. I never wanted to be here."

I sighed.

"I've gathered that, Mr. Myde. H owever that doesn't change the fact that you _are_ here, so you _must_ participate."

He nodded. "I know. But... I wanted to tell you why I was here. Just so you'd know."

I blinked in surprise. "That's hardly necessary," I blundered. This was what I'd wanted to know, but...

"It's improper for a professor to know about his students' personal life."

Demyx bit his lip.

"Yeah, but... I thought you'd want to!" he blurted out.

I stopped short. "Well, yes, I did want to know," I said quietly. "But it wasn't my place to ask." Demyx put down his back and sat down.

"But you didn't ask. I offered. So do you want to hear or not?"

With a sigh, I sat down in my chair. "All right, Demyx. Tell me."

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Please R&R! :D

Random fun fact: You know that whole thing about perspective and stuff? Yeah, I had an epiphany about it. XD So I was lounging around during a break at band camp, and I was laying on the floor, and I was looking at the wheels to out timpany stand. It's got four tires, you know, like a car. XD So I was looking at them, and I noticed that you could see the RIGHT side of the back LEFT tire, and the LEFT side of the back RIGHT tire. So then I got to thinking about perspective and how it works, and then I realized something. 'Life is perspective.' You have to look at life the right way in order for it to look good. Pretty cool huh? :D Yeah, none of you care about my epiphany I'm sure, but I wanted to share it anyways. XD I just wasted two minutes of your life! *evil laughter*

...Erhem. So, six reviews, people! O.o


	4. Perspective

Wow, I really thought this chapter was longer than the last few. e_e I also thought I would get SIX reviews, but apparently that didn't happen either! D: Come on, people, I don't care how bad you think you are at writing a review, I still want one! I only got five. T_T But I was tired of waiting, so I decided to put this one up anyways. And I'm not gonna put up the next one until I get at least EIGHT reviews! You heard that, right? Since I didn't get the small amount I wanted last time, now I'm upping the ante. *evil smile* Yes, I know, I'm mean. It'll just be for this chapter, though. If I'm pleased by how many I get, I'll bring it back down. u.u Anyways, enjoy! :D All 600-something words. O.o

DISCLAIMER: I mean, really, how would I own Kingdom Hearts? Obviously, Demyx died, so I don't own it. T_T

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"I know it seems crazy since we're so different, but Namine Snow is my little cousin."

I was so shocked, I had to keep my jaw from dropping. "The star student? But you two are so unalike. The only similarity is hair color." I said in disbelief.

Demyx nodded. "Everyone says that," he confirms. "Her mom, Lillian Snow, is my moms sister."

This time my jaw _did_ drop. "_The _Lillian Snow?" I exclaimed like an obsessive fan. "The owner of Raidiant Garden Museum of Art _and_ the creator of over half of the displays?"

Now it was Demyx's turn to be surprised. "You know her, Professor?" he asked. I nodded energetically.

"Of course! I myself have six paintings on display there."

Demyx opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it and shook his head. "I'm getting off topic. Anyway, I have a mother, an older sister, and an aunt and uncle, and a younger cousin. They're the only family I've ever known, and all of them are _crazy_ about art in _all_ of its forms.

I frowned. "This is going to go _exactly_ where I think it will go, isn't it?" I guessed. The blond-haired man nodded grimly.

"You're smart, so probably. My older sister, Larxene, is 23, and she's best at sculpting. She graduated from Oblivion Art University two years ago. I'd decided to take a year after high school, and that's why Namine and I are both in our sophomore year."

I nodded; that made sense.

"I'm terrible at art," Demyx went on. "All my life, I've only had a passion for music. I play the guitar and sitar, and I sing. That's all I've ever been good at. But everyone in my family hates that. They want me to be just like them. I was never allowed to play at home; I was only allowed to paint, and sculpt, and draw, none of which I do well. When I came to college, my mom forced me to take art instead of music. So... here I am. Unhappy, and _still_ terrible at it."

.

There was silence for a minute after he finished. I sighed.

"Quite common in families, but still unfortunate," I murmured eventually.

"You see?" he asked sadly. "I've never wanted to be in art class. It's always been music for me. And I'm sorry, but I hate having to take your class."

I sighed again. "Everyone has their own talents. I'm not offended." I paused for a moment, looking around. My gaze fell on my personal sketchbook. "One moment," I told him.

I picked up my book and started drawing. "Umm, Professor-"

"Just watch," I interrupted.

When I finished drawing, I held up the picture. "Tell me what it is," I ordered. He looked confused, but obeyed.

"It's just a chair. But-"

"Wait," I commanded. "I only asked you what it was." He shut his mouth, looking frustrated.

"Now, look at the left side. How does it look?"

He blinked. "It looks... terrible." he said. I nodded.

"Yes. What about the right side?"

"It's perfect."

I smiled. "Exactly! The left side is horrible. The lines aren't straight, some are broken up, and some are bolded in. But the right side looks good. Overall, the picture looks good, as long as you look at it from the 'right' perspective. Do you agree?"

He examined it for a moment. "I guess," he said eventually.

I put the sketchbook down. "Life is a picture, Mr. Myde. This situation is that chair. Things may _seem_ bad, but if you change your perspective a little, then you'll see that being in my class isn't as bad as you think. It's a good thing, if you look at it the right way."

He sighed. "But what exactly is _good_ about it?"

I shrugged. "How should I know? I'm just your art professor. And somehow, that's a good thing."

On _that_ happy note, I picked up my bag and left for home.

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There ya go! Demyx's story! :D And my epiphany! XD No really, that whole 'perspective on life' thing was an epiphany I had during band camp. XD I was looking at the tires of the timpani stand and I thought about perspective, and then I started thinking about perspective on life, and voila! Did I spell that right? XD Anyways, so yeah, I hope you enjoyed it, and REVIEW PLEASE! You see, there's a BUTTON right below this. If you CLICK it, you can TELL me something. *wink* seriously, try it out~


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